Reviews Update

iPad Pro mould seemingly leaked

by Jon Mundy 09 January 2015 |

Is this an iPad Pro mould?

Another hint that Apple is working on a super-sized iPad Pro has emerged in the form of a photo of a factory mould component.

The image, provided as is often the case by an anonymous Weibo user, shows a large industrial mould component sat on a forklift truck.

This mould appears to be for an iPad rear cover, judging by its square form factor and relative size. There also appears to be space for an Apple symbol and a camera in their usual locations.

However, proportionally, the component looks larger than an iPad Air 2. Could this be for the iPad Pro - supposedly Apple's 12.2-inch iPad variant aimed at power users?

As MacRumours points out, the mould is simple enough that this could merely be intended to produce unofficial dummy units for the manufacturers themselves. Still, such things are often based on leaked information from the Apple supply chain.

It's been a good month since we reported on the rumour mill surrounding the so-called iPad Pro. Part of the reason things went quiet may have been down to reports that Apple had pushed back production of the device in order to concentrate on iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus production.

Now that stocks of the company's latest flagship phone are in a healthy state, Apple's manufacturing partners may well have turned back to the company's iPad Pro tablet.

We may have a bit of a wait until the middle of the year until the iPad Pro officially shows itself, but this steady drip of teasers is certainly enough to keep us interested.

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LG: Nexus handsets ‘helped us be a mainstream phone manufacturer again’

LG might now be a leading player in the smartphone space thanks to the likes of the award winning LG G3, but that wasn’t always the case.

Just a couple of years ago the Korean manufacturer had been cast into the smartphone wilderness, seemingly with little chance of revival.

So, how did LG correct its mobile fortunes? Well, according to the company’s Head of Smartphone Planning, it wouldn’t have been possible without the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5.

Despite being a smartphone outcast at the time, LG was given the nod by Google to make the 2012 released Nexus 4, a handset which, thanks to LG’s foresight, paired a hugely impressive specs sheet with an even more incredible price tag.

“The Nexus 4 and 5 really helped us to be a mainstream smartphone manufacturer again,” Dr. Ramchan Woo, LG’s smartphone head said speaking exclusively with TrustedReviews.

“Over the past year we were the fastest growing smartphone manufacturer in the world but partnering with Google on the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 that really helped us.”

Looking to the future, Dr. Woo has predicted further growth for LG and hasn’t ruled out additional partnerships with the Android maker.

“This year we will grow again. In terms of volume and in terms in terms of market share,” he told us.

“We still have a very strong relationship with Google but nothing is ever concrete with the Nexus.

“Even with the Nexus 4 and 5 we didn’t actually realise that they would go into mass production. Nothing is concrete, that’s how Google works.”

Related: LG G4 release date

Now a big wig in the handset space, LG has again been afforded the freedom to experiment.

Highlighting this return to form, the manufacturer this week unveiled the curved LG G Flex 2 handset.

As well as featuring an innovatively curved Plastic OLED display, the LG G Flex 2 is the first commercially available handset to be announced running Qualcomm’s new 64-bit Snapdragon 810 processor.

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Twitter is reportedly preparing to unveil a new video tool

by Chris Smith 08 January 2015 |

Twitter

Twitter may be just weeks away from launching a new video tool that will allow users to shoot, edit and post video from its mobile app.

According to Recode’s sources, the social network will launch the new product, which will standalone from its Vine short video sharing service.

Those who have tested the feature claim users will be able to upload video from the camera roll as well as shoot and edit from directly using the main app.

Although it’ll exist separately from Vine, there will also be time limit on clips, with a 20-second limit predicted by Recode.

Twitter is seeking greater engagement with the site through video uploads, as it continues to fall behind fast-growing rival services like Snapchat, WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook.

Facebook just announced video posts are up 75 per cent around the globe, and 94 per cent in the United States, with an average of 1 billion views every day. Meanwhile, Twitter’s clips usually focus on offerings from broadcasting partners, sports associations and advertisers.

"With people creating, posting and interacting with more videos on Facebook, the composition of News Feed is changing," Facebook says. "Globally, the amount of video from people and brands in News Feed has increased 3.6x year-over-year."

Earlier this week it also emerged Facebook-owned WhatsApp had racked up 700m users with 30 billion messages exchanged every day.

Meanwhile Twitter continues to struggle with its attempts to grow its user base with 284m people around the world using the service.

Can a renewed focus on the value of video help Twitter gain that much-needed growth spurt? It may not be long before we find out.

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Windows 10 ‘Spartan’ browser’s most advanced features detailed

by Chris Smith 08 January 2015 |

Windows 10

More details have emerged surrounding the highly advanced web browser Microsoft is reportedly plotting for the new Windows 10 OS.

A reporter from The Verge website has apparently been briefed on the Internet Explorer-surplanting browser known internally as ‘Spartan’.

According to the article, one of the main features will be the ability for users to annotate webpages with a stylus pen. Users will then be able to share the annotated site with friends and colleagues, allowing multiple users go doodle on the same document.

One could imagine the OneNote-powered feature will come in handy when pointing out hard-to-find features on a page, or when collaborating on a new design for a web page.

Next up, as widely expected, is the inclusion of the Cortana personal assistant within the Spartan browser.

According to the report, users will be able to use Cortana to search for flights and bookings and shipment delivery information directly from the URL bar. For example, users will be able to search for an airline in the browser and all tracked flights will appear within the results.

Microsoft is also planning to introduce a new way to manage individual tabs, the sources claim. Instead of grouping everything together, Spartan will provide the opportunity to segregate personal and work tabs.

The report alleges Microsoft will make Spartan (or whatever it ends up being called) an app for the Windows Store, while the app will feature a very consistent design and UI across the company’s mobile and desktop platforms.

Read more: Windows 10 Features: What's new

It’s still not clear whether Microsoft plans to keep Internet Explorer around, as it transitions into the new era, but recent reports have suggested it will linger on for the sake of backwards compatibility.

It is likely Windows fans and interested parties will get their first look at Spartan when Microsoft updates everyone on its progress with the Windows 10 consumer experience later this month.

The firm is holding an event on its Redmond campus on January 21.

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Samsung yet to decide if Galaxy S6 will have full metal jacket

by Chris Smith 08 January 2015 |

Samsung Galaxy S6 MyKnox leak

Samsung is yet to design on a final design for its forthcoming Galaxy S6 handset, according to new reports on Thursday.

According to AndroidPit , the Korean firm is still debating whether to run with an all-metal body for the flagship handset, or whether to roll out a part-metal device with a plastic rear casing.

The report says Samsung has been showing off the all-metal prototype to select folks at CES in order to get feedback on the design.

One of the caveats to going all-in on metal would be the iPhone-like inability for users to replace the battery as they have in all previous models.

Given Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy S6 in March, it would seem a decision about the decision about the design would have to be made pretty quickly after the curtain down on CES.

AndroidPit has also received information claiming the Galaxy S6 will feature a microSD card slot, a UV sensor, fast-charging, unidirectional microphones and a UV sensor.

Today’s report isn’t the first this week suggesting the Galaxy S6 design is still undecided. Less than a week ago, we brought word claiming multiple designs were still being considered relating to a potential Galaxy S6 Edge.

SamMobile sources claimed the firm is considering both single and dual-edge designs for a spin off handset.

Would you like to see Samsung finally cast off the polycarbonate? Or do you like to be able to switch out the battery without returning the phone to the manufacturer? Let us know your thoughts below.

You can keep up with all the latest Galaxy S6 specs and release date rumours in our continually updated hub page.

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Netflix denies VPN crackdown

by Chris Smith 08 January 2015 |

Netflix

Netflix has hit back at reports claiming it is actively stepping up its efforts to block VPN access to streaming libraries in other countries.

Reports over the weekend highlighted how some users could no longer use their existing virtual private networks in order to skirt geographical restrictions.

However, Netflix chief product officer Neil Hunt says the firm’s policy remains unchanged and that some VPN services will still enable access.

Hunt says the company has always routinely swept for VPN services, which allow users to convince Netflix their internet connection is originating from another country, but isn’t stepping up its efforts to crackdown.

Speaking at CES, he said: "The claims that we have changed our policy on VPN are false.

"People who are using a VPN to access our service from outside of the area will find that it still works exactly as it has always done."

Following the initial reports, many had speculated Netflix had been blocking VPN access to appease studios upset by the breach of licensing agreements. Hunt confirmed this, but denied an extra effort was being made.

He added: "The reality is we blacklist known VPNs in accordance with our content contracts - Foxtel, for example, owns House of Cards in Australia so they kind of like us to block them. But we are not changing our policy. It remains the same as it ever was."

Read more: Netflix Ultra HD 4K review

A Netflix spokesperson also told the BBC: "Our terms of service state that you are not allowed to virtually cross borders because of content licensing systems.”

Has your desire to access a different Netflix content library run aground recently? Have you found another workaround? Share your experiences below.

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Samsung tipped to launch round ‘Orbis’ smartwatch at MWC

by Sean Keach 08 January 2015 |

Samsung round smartwatches

New reports suggest that Samsung is working on a round-faced smartwatch a la the Moto 360.

Until now, Samsung has remained resolutely square in its proliferation of wearables, much to the chagrin of design dons and fashionistas everywhere.

Fortunately it seems as though the South Korean tech giant is undergoing a chic transformation, and will jump on the circular bandwagon early this year.

An article by Sammobile suggests the device is tagged up under the model number ‘SM-R720’, although the official production title is ‘Orbis’.

Amusingly however, it seems ‘Orbis’ is a codeword of choice for Sony. Those of you with good memories will recall the PS4 also went by that very same moniker pre-release.

According to the new report, Samsung is setting up to launch the round-dialled ‘Orbis’ wearable at this year’s MWC, which is due to run from March 2-5.

That puts the smartwatch at just short of two months away, putting it in direct competition with the Apple Watch, also slated for a March release.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about Samsung gearing up for round-faced wrist-borne tech.

Back in November, a Samsung patent was uncovered that showed a smartwatch with a rotating bezel that acted as the device’s control input.

Flashback to July 2014 and we saw yet another Samsung patent, again showing off a curvy-faced timepiece.

While Samsung is keeping mum on the device for now, the company is known to flesh out its product categories with a big selection of devices – why should wearables be any different?

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